I was born the daughter of the Chairman of Deacons in a Baptist church.  When I was about six weeks old, I was dedicated in a Baptist church.  About a month before I turned seven, I walked the aisle in a Baptist church and became a Christian.  My best friend and I went to a Baptist camp two summers in a row as Girls in Action.  During the summer between seventh and eighth grade, I answered the call to Youth Ministry in Hatch Auditorium at Fort Caswell, a Baptist-ran youth camp.  I returned to that same camp several summers in a row.  When I graduated high school, I moved to Mars Hill College, a private school with a rich Baptist heritage.  I served as the Director of Youth for almost two years at a Baptist church.  Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that God is not Baptist! 

It’s not unusual for my friends and me to discuss what’s going on in our churches lately.  I’m always entertained by what our various congregations are finding important these days.  One time, we heard about how they moved a chair or podium for a skit and someone was offended.  One time, it was how someone suggested they move the worship time from 11:00 to 10:30 and there was an almost riot.  Most recently, we had the never ending conversation of how we baptize people in our churches and at what point.  One person shared that they were sprinkled as a baby then they were confirmed (and sprinkled again) when they were older and had completed their Confirmation Class.  I talked about how I was baptized when I saw six because I walked the aisle to profess I had accepted Jesus Christ into my heart.  That’s when the discussion was had as to whether or not God cared if you were immersed or sprinkled with water.

After going round and round with whether or not it mattered, and why we do things in our churches a certain way—we ended several statements with “I don’t really know”.  Here’s what I do know: God is not Baptist.  Or Methodist.  Or Lutheran.  Or Presbyterian.  I don’t think He really cares if we’re baptized or sprinkled.  I don’t think he cares if we drink wine or grape juice during communion.  I don’t think it matters to Him if the choir wears robes, we meet at 11:00, or have cushions on our pews or not.  I don’t think He cares if we use crackers or bread when we serve communion.  I just don’t think He’s concerned about all of that. 

I think what grabs God’s attention is how we love our neighbors.  Are we Jesus to the least of these?  Are we as a church standing in the gaps for those around us?  Or are we so wrapped up in how we get someone to Jesus that we aren’t even getting them there anymore.  God’s concerned with our hearts.  I’m not anymore saved than my Presbyterian friend just because I was immersed in water and she was sprinkled when we both professed Jesus as Lord.  Just like my Methodist friends aren’t closer to God because they recite the Apostle’s Creed. 

My prayer today is that I’ll be so caught up in ministering to my neighbors that I won’t have time to worry about whether or not I got the traditions and rituals “right”.  I want to battle Satan for the hearts of the lost, not my fellow church goers over carpet colors and baptism practices.  I desire for what grieves my heart to match what grieves God’s heart, and I’m convinced that’s people joining the Kingdom… 

Ordinary Miracle.  Sounds oxymoronic, doesn’t it?  How could something ordinary possibly be miraculous at the same time?  I tend to think of a miracle as a really big deal.  You know, like that moment when your team has just won the Superbowl!  Everyone’s screaming, coaches are getting bull-rushed with Gatorade, confetti’s falling, fans are rushing the field, and fireworks are going off.  I have no idea if they shoot off fireworks at the end of the Superbowl or not, ha!  Either way, you get my point.  Somewhere along the way, I decided that miracles weren’t quiet moments.  I have no idea where that comes from, because face it—God shows up in quiet moments too.

I’ve defined an ordinary miracle as God showing up in a BIG way in the midst of something we consider routine.  For example: the sun rising each morning and I wake up, the stars coming out at night, drops of water fall from the sky called rain, taking 64 to 95 at rush hour on a daily basis and not getting into a wreck, etc.  As Sarah McLachlan sings, “It’s not that unusual when everything is beautiful, it’s just another ordinary miracle today.”

Today, my ordinary miracle happened in the midst of my work day.  I had already attended our Department Meeting, returned texts that’d come in while we were meeting, and created structure in the midst of a very chaotic desk.  I had also already been to visit with a colleague about some non-work stuff, attended the End of the Year Cook-Out with my fellow faculty and staff members, and was now settling in for a long, quiet afternoon.

I was going through applications, chatting with co-workers, live streaming 106.9 The Light, and trying to return e-mails and voice messages.  Everything about the moment screamed “routine”.  I sat there praying over some things that I know will need my attention sooner, rather than later when my phone started buzzing.  I tend to know who is texting me before I open it, but this time—it was from that colleague I had been to visit earlier.  She and I had done some brain picking, heart sharing and finished our conversation by laughing and agreeing that, sometimes, we “just wish God would send a memo!”  Well, I think her text message was my memo today.

Her text mentioned something very specific that I had just been praying about; something we hadn’t even talked about earlier.  There’s no way she could have possibly known what I was praying for in that moment.  Yet, she managed to use the very words in her text that I had in my prayer.  Her text used the very phrase that my heart had just uttered in question to God!

In that seemingly routine, quiet moment—God showed up in a really big way!  I love when that happens!  We exchanged a couple more texts and I sat there knowing that I had just gotten my answer.  She ended our “conversation” by saying: I still wish He would send memos! Lol!!    I thought: I think He just did.  No one rushed the field, I didn’t get drenched in Gatorade but in that moment– clarity came.

God’s going to do whatever it takes to speak to our hearts.  Sometimes, it’s in the confetti falling, fireworks bursting kind of moment.  Sometimes, He just gently uses something ordinary to pull off the miracle.  Either way, we need to be sure that we’re keeping our hearts in a position to hear Him when He speaks—regardless of the volume.

In no particular order…

1) Sometimes, I take a nap just so I can dream. 

2) I’ve always said that I could never marry a Carolina fan, and tend to schedule things around Duke Basketball.

3) I color-coordinate how I write things in my calendar. If I write it in pink, it’s really important.  No one else would consider calling “important” half of what I write in pink. 

4) When people ask stupid questions, I feel obligated to give a sarcastic response.

5) I can be really insecure about myself and, therefore, don’t like doing things I don’t already know I’m good at.

6) I could sit and talk about life, relationships and what the Lord’s teaching you for hours. There’s something about watching a teenager’s eyes light up when they finally understand it that gets me every time though.

7) I like to be happy but sometimes I’m just not—and I don’t always have a good excuse!  However, the right person winking at me will completely change that. 

8) Ice cream is my weakness; Cook-Out milkshakes make me smile.

9) I love a good movie night, but the list of movies I’ve seen is relatively short.

10) I like to quote random movie lines as casual conversation.

11) I get to work with college students on a daily basis, but some days I’d give anything to be back in circle time with my 3 year olds.

12) I have naturally straight hair, but use a flat iron.  Riddle me that one.

13) I’m a sucker for hugs and sunflowers.

14) On a good day, I stand at 5′ 2¾ “.

15) I like lists, because I like the satisfaction of marking stuff off.

16) I love when the evenings get cool and riding with the windows down but the music up.

17) I still get really excited about snow!

18) My favorite seasons are: ACC Basketball, Christmas, Fall, and Summer (for the beach weather, not the humidity)

19) Letting people in has always been a tough one for me, but I’m working on it! 

20) While I find leading worship in front of thousands to be one of my greatest honors, living room sessions are still the best.

21) I enjoy riding on a Ferry.

22) I don’t like for homemade cookies to be crunchy.

23) I cannot resist a warm chocolate chip cookie, served with vanilla ice cream on top.  I’ve tried.  I really can’t do it.

24) I don’t fully understand football, but a lot of my favorite movies are built around it.

25) Quality Time and Physical Touch are my top two love languages.  Maybe you have to earn the right to hug me?  Ha!

26) Sitting by a campfire, eating S’mores, while stargazing sounds like a good night to me.

27) My favorite words or phrases are: serendipity, dream, and happily ever after.

Remember those elementary school days when it was time to choose up teams for kickball or basketball?  Some classmates were stoked and wanted to be team captain and others were annoyed at the thought of having to play a team sports, they aren’t athletes.  Then there were those of us who fell in the middle.  It’s not that we don’t like team sports; it’s not that we weren’t even good at it.  It’s just that there were better things to do— seesaw, swing, jump rope, slide, or climb the monkey bars.  Then you had the kids who were dying to play, but ended up just sitting the bench—the benchwarmers.  I always felt bad for them.

Even today, twenty years later, there’s still a soft spot in my heart for the benchwarmers.  I watch a lot of college basketball and there’s nothing worse than the faces of the benchwarmers after a loss.  They look so incredibly disappointed and we’ll never know If they’re playing would have changed the game for their team or not.  Those players are the ones who help to make the starters grow from good or even great players to incredible.  They show up to practice every time and dress out for every game, yet never get to play.  I doubt that even one of them dreamt their whole life of sitting on the bench.  It’s not a place that they are typically content with.  Wonder why it is we’re content with being benchwarmers in our churches and day-to-day ministry?

We get up and busy ourselves all day long, running around and making things happen.  At the end of the day, did any of it further the Kingdom?  If you’re like me, you’re busy with a lot of really good things.  It’s not like it is bad that I want to take in a baseball game or go to dinner with friends.  Some of my best heart-sharing happens when I’m in the car with someone.  The thing is though, if we’re flooring it to dinner with friends and bypass the girl on the side of the road with car trouble—what good are we?  If we show our impatience with our waitress because she asked us three times to clarify what we want and then it still wasn’t right when it comes—where’s the compassion?  For all we know, she just found out her husband’s leaving her and their three kids.  We don’t know her story, why are we getting short with her?

What about at church?  Where it should be “easy” to serve.  Why is it that the old adage “ten percent of the people do ninety percent of the work” is actually true?  Why are the people who love kids the most not signing up to help in the nursery?  The best teachers aren’t leading Bible Study.  The servant leaders aren’t on the deacon or elder board.  And the list goes on.  Is it because politics have gotten in the way?  Is it because they don’t want to commit to actually being there?  Is it because we think there are just better things to do?  Is it because we’re content with just being benchwarmers?  What happened to going and doing?  When did having faith in Jesus get separated from rolling up our sleeves and serving Him?  When did it become okay with us to just send money towards something instead of sending ourselves?  When did it become okay for us to pacify not going with “I’m not called to that”?

Anyone who professes Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is called to serve, to love their neighbor, to go.  Whether it’s across the street to mow your elderly neighbor’s grass, across town to keep a single parent’s kid(s) because they just need a nap, or just to the cafeteria table where the outcast kid sits by themself every single day for lunch (and the list continues)—we’re all supposed to be doing something that furthers the Kingdom every single day.  Jesus isn’t looking for groupies… He’s looking for disciples!  Charles Spurgeon said it best when he said, “It is the whole business of the whole church to preach the whole gospel to the whole world.”

As kids we all hated being the one who showed up to every practice and game only to be benchwarmers, but somehow as adults we are completely content with being just that in churches, in life.  Something’s really wrong with that picture! I have to ask myself constantly, am I sitting the bench right now or am I trying to make the Kingdom altering move?  What about you?  Are you just sitting the bench?

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  (Matthew 4:19)

Somewhere around Louisville, Kentucky in a coliseum of over 11,000 teenage girls from all around the world, Jaci Valesquez sang out what would quickly become the cry of my heart:  I promise to be true to You.  To live my life in purity, as unto You.  Waiting for the day, when I hear You say, “‘Here is the one, I have created just for you.”  It was the National Acteens Convention of 1998.  I was in the seventh grade at the time and as this young, Contemporary Christian music artist stood singing her song, “I Promise”, God was impressing on my heart the same desire.  I knew that He was asking me to let Him have my dating desires and live to a higher standard.

On the way back to North Carolina that week, I made a list of what I was looking for in the guys that I would date and committed to pray daily for my future husband.  As I sit and remember that list today, almost 15 years later, I’m finding myself literally laughing out loud.  The list included stuff like: plays football, likes royal blue, sings, has dark hair and brown eyes.  He had to be perfect, having no past.  Not only was my seventh grade list completely surface, but my prayers would often flirt with being egotistical.  Besides, if we’re honest, in the 7^th grade—I probably had some particular boy in mind already anyway, right?  Lucky for me—I grew up!  My list did too.  It grew into the yearning for a man who honors the heart of God, someone that would not only be compatible and complementary of me, but with whom my relationship would honor God.  For example, the number one thing on my list is that he loves the Lord more than me but that I’m his partner in ministry.

You would think that having a list would make it easier when it comes to dating relationships, but the truth is that it doesn’t.  In fact, in some ways, it made things harder.  It’s pretty stinkin’ easy to guard your heart against all the guys that are just dreadful choices; the ones who don’t fear God.  However, what do you do when the Lord blesses your life with a lot of really cool guy friends who just genuinely seem to love Jesus?

Years after I had created my list, I found myself sitting amongst the pieces of my shattered heart, destroying my list, in the middle of my college dorm room.  With mascara tainted sleeves and tears flooding the cold, hardwood floor–I was beginning to lose my ability to breathe.  I had just gotten off the phone with the boy.  I met him when I was still in high school.  He had been the youth leader at a nearby church and we’d hit it off the summer before my senior year.  At least, I thought we did.  It did not take long before we were spending lots of time on the phone each night, hanging out either during the week or on the weekend.

Contrary to Taylor Swift’s opinion, fifteen is not the only age a girl is going to believe you when you tell her you love her.  I had found a guy that claimed to love Jesus; he was a musician, an athlete, and a youth leader and he had told me he loved me.  For a girl who wanted to grow up to be Casting Crowns one day, what more could I have wanted?!?   I ran through my list and had made him fit everything on it and now here we were—arguing for the last time and breaking up, for real this time.  What was wrong with this picture?  I had made him fit.

In my haste to make him fit into the box that I’d labeled “future husband”, I had left God entirely out of the equation of what dating should look like.  So there, in the middle of my dorm room floor while catching my breath between floods of tears, I gave my dating relationships over.  It didn’t take much effort to yell at God about how I “couldn’t take this anymore,” as if He had initiated the heartache that I was feeling.   You know that romantic notion that all the garbage and the pain that we go through is really healing and beautiful and sort of poetic?  It’s undeniably not.  It is just garbage and it is pain!  (Yes, I do  know that God can bring good out of any situation but in that moment it was just garbage and it was just pain.)

It took every fiber of my being to hand my “dating life” over to God that night, because I knew that it was going to cost me something.  It was going to cost being “cool” to the rest of campus.  It was going to cost living up to the expectations of the folks back home who believed that if “you aren’t in a serious relationship before you graduate college, the odds of getting married get harder”.  It was going to cost my dreams.

A couple of days later, when I pulled myself together enough to feel ready to approach God about my dating life, instead of half-hazardly blurting out, “I can’t do this anymore, You’re going to have to”, I remember rambling to God, “Okay, Lord, I know You want the pursuing to be done by the guy, but where’s the line between “dropping hints” and starting the actual pursuit of the relationship?  Orange is this year’s hottest color, does that mean to grab his attention, I wear orange, to show I’m “cute”?  I don’t even like orange!  Where’s the line between being modest but trendy?  What about the line between staying physically pure in a relationship and experimenting for the so called spark?”    It didn’t take long to find that I had drawn so many lines—I had boxed myself in and was incredibly guarded.  Wait!  Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?  Guard our hearts, above all else.  I was in another mess!  In the midst of putting too much emphasis on my “dating life”, I had put a tremendous amount of unnecessary pressure on myself and had completely lost focus of what I was supposed to be about.  I had bought into what society thought was important: graduate high school, go to college, fall in love, get married, have 2.5 children, and live happily ever after.

I still believe that God wants me to live happily ever after, but I’ve learned that doesn’t come in a one-size-fits-all package.  Someone once said, “Conforming to this world’s view of happiness and contentment is like when a little kid takes the nickel out of your hand instead of the dime, just because the nickel looks bigger.”  That’s what I had been doing, reaching for the nickel.  Once I was willing to let go of the life I had planned in order to live the life God wanted to give me, I began to hear Him speak over my heart what was most important for me to hear.  It wasn’t the name of some boy!  I began to hear God say, “You’re having trouble dealing with your current relationship status, because you’re focusing on the wrong relationship!  Dare to put guys on the back burner while you allow Me to heal and bless your heart!”

God’s plan is good and that’s not a fairytale.  One day, it IS going to be ‘happily ever after’, but we can’t expect that to come from some guy.  I don’t care how hot he is!  ‘Happily ever after’ can only come from God and if, for us, His plan includes marriage with Mr. Right—great.  However, it’s not contingent on it.  Do I want to be married someday? Yes.  Do I want to be a mom someday? Yes.  Do I hope it’s before I’m 87½? Yes.  Is my walk with God contingent on it?  No!  That’s the part I kept missing.  I thought that I had to find my awesome husband in order to get to where I was supposed to be.  All God wants us to be is faithful right now.  That means, letting Him pick up the pieces of our heart in the midst of all of that garbage and pain.  It means letting him piece it back together, shine His light through it all, and allow it to become less like a dark abyss and more like a breathtaking kaleidoscope.

I learned the hard way that if I was unhappy with my relationship status, it was because I was focusing on the wrong relationship.  I needed to be focusing on my relationship with Jesus and then just enjoy being single.  The greatest way to live life well and to prepare for the future (marriage or no marriage) is to spend time with Jesus.  Too many believers allow their spouses to take the place of God and it ends in divorce.  God wants us to cherish our life partners, but He wants to be first place in our lives.  We can set that priority now, before we get married by finding our contentment in God by really seeking Him.  If we don’t find contentment, then we’re going to expect our future spouse to fill those areas in our lives that only God can fill and we’re going to find ourselves incredibly disappointed.   That doesn’t sound anything remotely like “happily ever after” to me.

As a girl, I’m certain that there is nothing more priceless than my girl-friends.  They’re the ones who will laugh for hours, would be there at 3am if I needed them to be, hit up the year-end shoe sale, but get in my face when someone needs to just shoot straight with me.  Some of the best memories I’ve been part of have been from Girls’ Night.  However, just through having friendships with members of the opposite sex, I am discovering some of the things I do and don’t want in a future spouse.  As I see the values and priorities of different people, I’m getting a clearer picture of the kind of things I’m looking for in the person I want to marry.  I have been incredibly blessed with the opportunity to be friends with some of the best guys God ever created.  Sometimes, they can frustrate me in a New York minute (I know, it’s mutual), but they have also shown me what should be important to me as I pray for my future husband.  They have shown me that real men of God are still out there.  They have taught me that I’m looking for the guy who: will man-up and lead our household one day; is a servant leader; quick to listen and slow to anger; compassionate, and strives to encompass all of the things God designed for the man to be and do within the marriage.  I’ve also come to grips with the fact that the guy I marry will not be perfect.  He may leave a mess on the bathroom counter, have a past that’s hard to hear about sometimes, and may not even be a virgin, for whatever the reason may be.  For example, what if he had sex before he became a Christian?  What if he’s been married before?  What if, God forbid, he was raped?  Does that mean he’s “damaged goods”– absolutely not!  Can I hold him responsible for the journey that led us together?  Heck no! Just like he shouldn’t try and hold my past over me, ya know? I definitely have one, it just doesn’t include a lot of stories built around sex.  That “list” gets cleaned up a little more all the time just by growing strong friendships.

Do I have a clue how (those of us that are single) will know when we’ve found “the one”?  Not really.  I, like many of you, hate the answer “you just know”.  I have had many people share their stories as I’ve made them answer the “how did you know” question.  Only two of them (not counting my parents), out of probably around 40-50 people, have been able to give me an answer that felt like it had any validity to it at all.  And until Saturday night, it was just one for about five years.

Relationships are hard, I know.  It’s a struggle to not long for “the one” when we’re wired for relationships in the first place.  Trust me, I KNOW!  It’s just that I also know we have to find our contentment in Jesus Christ.  I’m not always there, but my prayer is that we will stop taking the long road to get there…

This just in: I am not perfect! In fact, I’m imperfection at its best.  There I said it, I admit it. I know, shocking news. Go ahead and let that sink in for a minute. I’m sure that thought is hard to handle. Some days, it’s still hard for me to swallow. Particularly on the days that I really feel like I’m letting someone else down. Did you catch that? Letting someone else down. When did my life become about what someone else thinks? Unfortunately, I think it’s been that way for a while.

I don’t always say what I’m thinking, because what if I’m wrong and look stupid. I don’t dance, because I’m afraid someone else is watching me and I’m just kind of bad at it. I will change ten times and end up in something a little less comfortable because it’s more “in style” than the jeans I was more comfortable in; I guess I’m hoping to hear “you look great today”. Sometimes, I’ll even sing the song that I sound better singing instead of the one with the best message. I tend to back off from trying something new, because I like to stick with what I already know I’m good at. Again, what if I look stupid? What I’m not enough? I’ll even sometimes make life-altering decisions based on whether or not it’s living up to someone else’s expectations of me. I know that’s kinda sick isn’t it? I’m betting, on some level, you do that too—live your life based on what someone else is thinking.

I’m also willing to bet you spend a great deal of time evaluating someone else’s world too, don’t you? We girls are particularly good at it. (Ahem, that’s not a compliment, ladies.)  One of the first things we’re taught in life is how, as a young lady, we’re to dress. As we get a little older, we’re taught how to wear make-up and look our best. The world of marketing thrives on appealing to our desire to be our best. Who decided what “best” is? I don’t know where it started, but I know where it ends. It ends with us believing that we’re not tall enough, thin enough, or blonde enough. Our teeth aren’t white enough, our skin isn’t tan enough. We’re not enough. Therefore, our conversations are somehow often built around other people not being enough. “Did you see what she was wearing?” “Who cut her hair like that?” “Her legs are too white to wear that black skirt.” “Please explain to me how she got on tv with a smile like that.” We’re very quick to point out someone else’s flaws, hoping it keeps people from discovering our own. Heaven forbid someone else finds out that we’re less than perfect!

The thing is though; we’re not created to meet the standards of this world. Yet, for some reason, we keep giving the world the power to determine our value. The world’s definition is established in the lies from Satan. He’s the enemy here and yet we keep playing for his team. We allow him to not just whisper insecurities into our ears and hearts, but we opt to give into them.

You and I are going to have to come to a place where we stop handing people the kind of power only God should wield over us. Because, ya know, He thinks we’re pretty stinkin’ special. He made us and He doesn’t make mistakes. We’re going to have to let that Truth scream louder to our souls than the lies that have infected us. I’m not there yet. I’ve resolved to be on my way though…

I’m such a sucker for a teenager. Everyone else tends to be driven crazy by their: volume, drama, he said- she said stories, hormones, chaos, and free spirits. I run to it, I eat it up! They really just want someone to help them feel safe, loved, and someone who will help them find the right way. Let’s face it—as a Youth Ministry major, I essentially got my degree in Lock-Ins, Camp, Messy Games Day, Vacation Bible School, Small Group Bible Study, Mission Team training, and Team Building. Some of my favorite ministry moments have been alongside a lot of middle school and high schoolers. One of the longest nights of my life was spent listening to teenage girls pour out their hearts. While my heart was broken into a million pieces for them—I was incredibly aware of the Holy Spirit moving in that room full of pajama wearing, make-up smeared faces. Lately, I’ve been a little removed from the teen scene. I had forgotten how much I miss it until this past week.

I work in Admissions for a local college. One of the things that we began to do three years ago was take the Admissions process to our local high schools. We decided that they may test better and perhaps even be more comfortable with talking to us if we were on their stomping grounds. What we affectionately call “On-Site Admissions” was born and we have only been proven to have made the right move more and more each year. Over the past week, we’ve been in three of our four locations.

Last week, a couple of us cried with a girl who shared how one of her parents recently passed away and now the other one is quickly losing their battle with cancer. I also met a boy who called me “ma’am” every single time he said something to me as we talked about Campus Ministry opportunities on our campus. He ended our conversation by saying, “I look forward to serving with you, ma’am.” Yesterday, I got to talk with a girl who shared that she’s basically raising her brother and can’t take the full-ride she was offered to UGA on a softball scholarship. Today, after hearing the “heavy” stories at the other schools, it was oddly “refreshing” when I talked with boys who have no idea what they want to do in life but they’re really excited about it.

While each school has had their own unique markings of an On-Site experience, there is still one common thread—God had me on their campuses on purpose. I know I’ve already said it, but I really am such a sucker for a teenager. If I’m honest, I don’t get too excited about serving, teaching, or working with any other age. I know it sounds weird, but On-Site this year has taught me that I need to see everyone I come in contact with as I would a teenager. Truth be told, all anyone really wants is to feel safe, loved, and helped as they find the right way. I know the right way is whatever way Jesus is headed. It’s my job to lead people to Jesus. While my heart is teenagers, I may not always be in that setting. I need to learn to be faithful in whatever setting I’m placed, for however long it lasts…

Today, I learned that Alex Tweedy was killed in a car accident after leaving school at Northern Nash High School.  While I did not know Alex, I know many of Alex’s friends.  I also know that we can all understand what it feels like to lose someone that we love.  In fact, I think it was the theme of this weekend between: one friend losing her grandmother in the midst of her sister’s wedding, one friend reaching the year mark of the passing of his wife last year, and an acquaintance learning that she would carry her baby full-term but that it’s not expected to live for more than a couple of minutes, if that.  None of us is immune to the heartache that comes from a loved one dying.  In the midst of all of that…

I am reminded that, no matter how long you think you have with someone, you don’t.

I am reminded that God is the ONLY one who can bring peace to a whirlwind of emotions.

I am reminded that, no matter how hard you try, you can never prepare yourself for the loss of a loved one.

I am reminded that God is still in the business of picking up the pieces to broken hearts.

I am reminded that, no matter how many memories you recount, it’s not the same as making them.

I am reminded that, even in the death of one of your closest friends, God can still bring glory to His name.

I am reminded that it’s still OK to cry. “Life” doesn’t give us that permission.  Tears have great value. Not one tear that is poured out before God ever goes unnoticed… God not only gives His children permission to cry; He rather encourages it. 

I am reminded that, in a room full of people that you’ve known your entire life, you can still feel like you’re very much alone. 

I am reminded that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, so remembering to tell each other today that we love each other is a must.

I am reminded that, no matter how much you’d like to avoid it, “goodbye” comes whether you’re ready or not.

I am reminded that there are those weird moments where you want to hang on to someone, but know that letting go is best.

I am reminded that God is who says He is and can do what He says He can do.  He’s completely capable of holding us and calming our fears while we learn how to let our loved ones go.  He’s completely capable of using the death of one of His children to bring glory to His name.  He is God. 

In John chapter 16, Jesus tells us that heartache is coming.  He doesn’t tell us that we might experience it, He says in verse 33 that, “in this world, we WILL have trouble.” (emphasis mine)  I am so thankful that it does not stop there.  He immediately follows that statement with, “But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” 

Now, I could be wrong, but I don’t think that Jesus said it all lighthearted and nonchalantly—like us Southerners say “bless your heart”.  No, I’m pretty sure this “Take heart!” was more emphatic; a reminder that He has overcome anything we’re going to go through.  I’m praying that we can all do that.  Instead of letting our temporary circumstances essentially overtake us.  Don’t get me wrong… life is messy, I know!  It’s just that I don’t want to live a life that conveys the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than Jesus’ command to take heart…